Archive for 'hormone'

My lipid panel indicated very low total cholesterol and even LDLs were lower than my cardiologist was happy with. At the time my Crestor intake of 20mg a day, coupled with 1 gram of Niaspan, and a strict diet and heavy exercise problem lead to these results.

The high reverse t3 levels (rt3) are a result of a restricted diet with over training. To verify there was no issue the reader will note in the results a lab draw on 10/12 that measured Iodine. The link discusses the relationship between Iodine and the thyroid gland.

Very low cholesterol has been tied to issues with memory loss and dementia, as well as other health issues. While many TRT specialists aim for a total cholesterol of 180 mg/dL I believe the body can function with lower levels. The thinking goes something like this. See the hormone tree below:

Note the cleaving enzyme that cleaves cholesterol into pregnenolone and then on down the steroid pathway. Without enough cholesterol there is not enough fuel for the remaining hormonal system, right? True – to a point.

The reality is everyone is different and that 180 mg/dL is not some magic number or target. For some, 120 may work fine, or even lower. The worry is that patients will remain non-compliant with cholesterol lowering medications without doctor supervision in an effort to “jump-start” their own testosterone or maximize hormone fuel by boosting cholesterol. The warning here is…be careful.

I lowered my dose to 5mg of cholesterol and purchased a cholesterol meter that measures Total Cholesterol, Triglycerides (TG), and HDL. This allows LDL to be calculated using the formula LDL Cholesterol = Total Cholesterol – HDL – (TG / 5). I ensure I am always above 120 and I am doing just fine. If I hit 180, I don’t panic. I get by without any problems with frequent exercise and some sanity in my diet.

Not shown in this lab that did show up on previous labs is an increase in hematocrit and RBC leading to polycythemia – an increase in red blood cell count per unit blood volume. This increases the risk of clot formation. If you have heart disease, watch out for this side effect. More often seen on shot therapy for TRT, it can happen even with gels. Treatment usually involves blood letting, a procedure that can be ordered by your doctor. Also, it helps to cease TRT treatment every 12-18 months for a short period of time.

As far as the testosterone levels go, I was on 1.5 tubes of Testim for this test, applied in the morning, and the blood work done 2 hours after application. My testosterone was screaming high at over 1400ng/dl. This level is a false reading as a future lab would indicate.

WARNING: Never apply Testim or any gel to the area where the blood draw will occur. This can taint the results. This is what happened for this particular test. I had to ignore the results.

There are four main types of testosterone replacement that are available.

Transdermal testosterone includes patches (which will not be covered due to their low absorption rates) and gels such as Testim and Androgel, which are both 1% concentrations, and creams from a compounding pharmacy which range from concentrations of 1% to 10% with higher concentration rates equating to lower skin surface area for application. A study indicated Testim absorption to be better than Androgel, however my personal experience is that both are good absorbers. The smell of Testim turns most men off to its use, but I found that women particularly like the odor. However, my insurance does not cover Testim. Androgel efficacy is improved in my case by rubbing it on the flanks as well as the arms. Remember, the more surface area the higher the DHT, which can lead to unwanted side effects such as acne, accelerated hair loss in those prone to male pattern baldness, and hair growth in unwanted areas. However, the boost in libido and improvement in erections is noticeable for me. Shots, mentioned next, worked fine in my case for about 1 month. Two months into the treatment I had profound lack of libido and total erectile dysfunction unresponsive to PDE5 inhibitors such as Viagra and Levitra.